Air-lock.



Patented Mar. H, I302.

D. E. MORAN.

MB LOCK. (Application filed Nov. 26, 1961.

(No Model WITNESSES 04 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL E. MORAN, OF MENDHAM, NEW JERSEY.

AIR-LOCK.

SPE-GIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,978, dated March. 1], 1902.

Application filed November 26, 1901. Serial No. 83,694. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LDANIEL E. Monmna on izen of the United States, residing at Mendham, in the county of Morris, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Locks, of' which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide means for passing a bucket through an airlock without removing the same from the rope; and the invention consistsin providing means for moving the bucket laterally within the lock and in the other new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an air-lock, showing the bucket therein. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section on the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the upper head of the lock, show ing the slot therein. Fig. 5, is a detail end view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the upper door, showing one means for closing the slot. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line b b of Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating difierent means for closing the slot. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a port-ion of the door and slot-closin g means shown in Fig. 6.

shall be sealed substantially air-tight when the doors are closed. These doors may be opened and closed in any suitable manner, the lower door preferably being mounted upon an arm 5, movable on a pivot 6, controlled by counterweights 7. The upper door is preferably mounted within the casing upon a pivoted arm 8, controlled bycounterweights 9, and is guided into its closed position by means of an arm 10, taking into a slot 11, providedin the casing. The upper and lower openings of the casing are out of alinement or eccentric with respect to each other, and the center of the lower opening is arranged so that its vertical axis shall fall on the circumfer'ence of the upper opening or outside thereof and preferably exterior to the upper door when the same is closed. A slot 12 is formed in the upper head that extends from the upper opening to the point over the center of the lower opening, and preferably this slot extends slightly beyond the overlapping portion, if any, of the upper door;

A bucket 13 is seen red to a rope 14, whereby the bucket may be raised and lowered through the look by any suitable means, as a derrick. (Not shown.) Preferably the rope is substantially the same diameter as the width of the slot 12, so that the rope shall fit snugly therein. It is evident that if the rope fits snugly within the slot and said slot extends only slightly beyond the outer periphery of the door when same is closed the slot will be sealed substantially air-tight. In case of extremely high pressures or when an absolutely tight joint is desired the door may be provided with an annular packing ring 15 and with a key 16, having inclined sides to engage in the slot, which maybe correspondingly recessed to receive the same, as shown in Figs. 4 to 7. It is obvious, however, that an independent key 17 may be provided to fit in and close the slot after the rope has been adjusted therein. If desired, the casing may be provided with a rotatable disk 18, adapted to close over the slot after the rope has been adjusted, so as to provide an additional resistance for the key that engages in the slot.

When it is desired to pass the bucket through the lock, the upper door is opened, as shown'in Fig. 1, and the bucket islowered into the interior of the look by means of the rope. The bucket is then moved laterally in the lock until the rope seats in the end of the recess provided in the upper head, inwhich position it is immediately above the lower opening. The upperdoor is then closed, sealing the upper opening and the slot. The usual methods are then employed to equalize the air-pressures in the air-lock and in the caisson below the same, after which the lower door is opened to permit the bucket to pass through. hen it is desired to raise the bucket from the caisson, it is first elevated into the airlock and the lower door is closed, after which the pressure in the air-lock is equalized with the exterior in the usual manner. The upper door may then be opened and the bucket moved laterally until it is immediately below the upper opening, when it can be removed. By this construction the bucket may be passed through the air-lock without removing it from the rope by which it is hoisted from the caisson and without handling the bucket other than moving it laterally by means of the rope. The lock can be operated also without passing the rope through either of the doors, thereby permitting the doors to be extremely simple in construction and to be opened and closed by any well-known means. Only two doors are necessary, and no stuffing-box or equivalent mechanism is required on the rope, whereby the construction of the lock is simplified and its cost correspondingly decreased.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of the construction herein shown without departing from the spirit of the in vention,provided the means set forth in any of the following claims be employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. An air-lock provided with an opening for the passage of a bucket supported by a rope, a single door for said opening, and means to permit lateral movement of said bucket and rope whereby said door may be closed.

2. An air-lock having a head provided with an opening for the passage of a bucket and its supporting-rope, a door for the opening, said head being provided with a slot or recess to receive the rope and permit the door to (lose.

3. An air-lock provided with an upperhead having an openingtherein, a lower head provided with an opening, said upper head being provided with a slot communicating with the opening therein, and means for closing each of said openings.

4. An air-lock having openings in its upper and lower heads to permit movement of a bucket and its supporting-rope through said lock, said openings being out of alinement with each other, a door for each opening, the upper head being provided with means whereby the bucket and its supporting-rope may be moved laterally into alinement with the lower opening and the door to the upper opening be closed.

5. An air-look having openings in its upper and lower heads to permit movement of a bucket and its supporting-rope through the lock, said openings being out of alinement with each other, a door for closing each of said openings, the upper head being provided with a slot communicating with the opening in said head to receive the rope when same is moved laterally, and means for sealing said slot when the door is closed.

6. An air-lock having one of its heads pro vided with an opening and a door for said opening, said head being provided with a slot or recess communicating with the opening therein and extending beyond the overlapping portion of the door when same is closed.

7. An air-lock having openings in its upper and lower head arranged out of alinement with each other, the upper head being provided with a slot or recess communicating with the opening thereof and extending to a point centrally above the lower opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this application, in the presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of November, 1901.

DANIEL E. MORAN.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY N. J ESBERA, JOHN M. SooBLE. 

